Kennedy another quality section win

Prologue
Off to Bloomington Kennedy for their important section 2AAAA showdown with Prior Lake.  Kennedy also trying to hold on to 3rd place in the rugged South Suburban with Prior Lake and Eagan just 1 game behind.  Sparse concession stand tonight means a rare bag of popcorn on my menu.  I'm a fan of the limited salt, but I require my fat content so more butter would have been welcome.  We get a late appearance but a full game worth of the Kennedy pep band.  That means today's music is a pep band tune.

Song of the Day
Seven Nation Army - White Stripes

Total Beverage Consumption Counter: 1056 ounces  (94 games, 75 days)

• 60 oz Dr Pepper
• 36 oz Sprite 
• 12 oz 7 Up
• 140 oz Red Powerade
• 140 oz Red Gatorade
• 464 oz Pepsi
• 164 oz Coke
• 20 oz Barq's Root Beer
• 20 oz Mug Root Beer

Game Time
Prior Lake's offense nothing but layups and 3s for most of the 1st half.  Jon Sobaski breaks the press for a layup and Jason Faul puts back a miss for a 16-10 Prior Lake lead at the 14:20.  Very quick early pace.  Kennedy's 2-3 zone does manage to slow the pace.  It also contributes to a 15-2 Kennedy run.  DJ Davis with a drive for a lefty deuce and a 3 ball for the lead   Then he drives and dunks before Darius Bell has a chance at a 4 point play.  The lead expands to 9 before a late 3s from Sobaski and George Nusbaum.  38-33 Kennedy at the half.  DJ Davis almost with a double double in the half.

Connor Bair with a pair of inside buckets as the Lakers close the lead to 40-37 early in the second half.  Kennedy opens it up with a 10-2 run.  CJ Lewis with 12 1st half points keeps it going in the 2nd half.  He drives for 2 and makes a pair of freebies, Davis with a pair of buckets in the run as well.  50-39 Kennedy with 11:20 to play.  Sobaski with a steal for a 3 point play to end a 7-0 run that cuts the lead to 4.  Nusbaum with another bomb off the bench to keep Prior Lake within 55-51 with 8 minutes left.  But the Lakers would get no closer.  Davis with a layup, Lewis puts back a miss and then gets a friendly bounce off a leg right to him for 3.  Davis picks up his 4th with 6:08 left but Lewis is flammable.  He knocks down another 3 and Kennedy adds a putback to end a 12-4 run.  67-55 with 5:27 left.  Prior Lake sees a 3 go in and out that would have cut the lead to 6 with about 2:45 left.  Kennedy makes 2 free throws on the other end.  Kennedy goes on to win 80-71.

Post Game
After a stretch where they were 9-3, Prior Lake has now lost 4 out of 5.  They fall to 6-7 in the South Suburban, 12-9 overall and 3-3 in the section.  The Lakers did have 4 players in double figures.  Forward Connor Bair leads with 13 points.  Austin Heidecker and George Nusbaum with 11 and Jon Sobaski adds 10 with a handful of assists and rebounds.  Prior Lake with no good answer for Kennedy's 2-3 zone as they couldn't make shots and couldn't get the ball inside or get offensive rebounds.  A pair of home games coming up for the Lakers as they host Lakeville South on Friday and Eastview next Tuesday.

This was an important victory for Kennedy.  After 6 straight wins, they are currently in a stretch where this will be the only home game in an absolutely brutal 9 game stretch.  They had lost the 1st 5 in that stretch coming into tonight (Apple Valley, Lakeville North, Waconia, Milwaukee Riverside top 5 in WI).  They are at Rosemount on Friday and Lakeville South and Eastview next week.  Guard CJ Lewis absolutely outstanding with 21 of his 33 in the second half.  DJ Davis chips in with a double double of 18 points and 12 rebounds on my sheet.  Travon Hearns a very productive night inside with 13 points off the Eagles bench.  Kennedy is now 11-9 overall, 8-5 in the South Suburban and most notably 6-0 against section 2AAAA opponents.  It puts them 2-0 against Prior Lake and 2 games clear of the Lakers in the conference standings.  Now the battle is on with Chanhassen for the 2nd seed in the section behind Shakopee.  Expect that race to come right down to the wire.